Common Myths & Misconceptions About Food and Your Body

Taking care of your diet is crucial for maintaining your health. There are myriad myths and misconceptions related to body and the food which can affect your wellbeing, so get ready to be blown away by some of the craziest facts, we should have known 10 years ago!

Sugar Doesn’t Always Make Kids Hyper

Kids love candy and they eat them in excess whenever they can. It is often not the sugar which actually affects kids but the artificial sweeteners and syrups that are harmful. Consuming artificial sweeteners in excessive levels can elevate the blood sugar level which can have serious effects. This can cause emotional and behavioural changes. Thus, it is suggested that parents monitor their kids intake.

Heat Removes Alcohol

It’s a fact that alcohol boils at much a lower temperature as compared to water. When it is boiled, the alcohol evaporates quicker than the water. According to a study, it was found that alcohol can be retained to 5-85% depending on the method of preparation. When alcohol in mixed for baking, 5 % of alcohol is left after 2- 2.5 hours. However, when alcohol was added to the boiling water, 85% of alcohol remains. Thus, it is a myth that heat removes alcohol.

Drinking 8 Glasses of Water

It is not a thumb rule to drink eight glasses of water however, it important to drink enough water to keep your body hydrated. You should drink enough water to replenish due to excretion, perspiration and other bodily functions. The amount of water intake may vary from person to person and depends on the age, activity level, physical and climatic conditions. It is not mandatory that you should drink 8 glasses of water daily, you just need to establish what your body needs.

Carrots improve your vision

Carrot cannot restore vision loss or improve eyesight. However, they are rich in vitamin A which is vital for the body. A lack of vitamin A can cause the serious diseases such as cataracts, xerophthalmia or macular degeneration. Therefore, carrots can help people with vitamin A deficiency improve their vision. So carrots have numerous health benefits but it cannot restore the vision to 20/20.

Vitamin C against Colds

This is by far the most common myths and misconceptions of all. It is common that people suffer from cold several times during the year. But it is the myth that high dosage of Vitamin C can prevent the cold. According to a study, it has been found that vitamin C can’t reduce the frequency of cold. However, it has the tendency to reduce the severity and duration of colds.

Eggs Will Cause a Heart Attack

For years, nutritionist warned that eggs were unhealthy. Apparently eggs had the richest sources of cholesterol in the human diet. Since cholesterol plugs up arteries, eggs must be the reason for heart attacks and strokes? Right? Wrong!

Studies found no connection between eating eggs and cardiovascular disease. How could that be? It turns out that only about 25 percent of the cholesterol in your blood comes from food. The other 75 percent is manufactured by the liver, which produces lots of cholesterol when you eat chips and pies and other sources of saturated fat-something eggs are low in. Eggs are also filled with useful nutrients such as folate and other B vitamins, and minerals.

Suzanna, co-owns and publishes the newspaper Times Square Chronicles or T2C. At one point a working actress, she has performed in numerous productions in film, TV, cabaret, opera and theatre. She has performed at The New Orleans Jazz festival, The United Nations and Carnegie Hall. She has a screenplay and a TV show in the works, which she developed with her mentor and friend the late Arthur Herzog. She is a proud member of the Drama Desk and the Outer Critics Circle and was a nominator. Email: suzanna@t2conline.com

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